


Stay Close to Me

by MizushimaHikari



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Competition, Confusion, Deception, Dramatic Irony, Drunkenness, Fangirls, Grand Prix Final, Heartbreak, Hope, Hugs, Ice Skating, Inspired by Music, Intense, M/M, Meet-Cute, Motorcycles, Music, Optimism, Siblings, Soulmates, competitive pressure, crashes, hugging-zombie yuuri is my spirit animal, srsly tho who is bin cao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-09 02:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8872909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizushimaHikari/pseuds/MizushimaHikari
Summary: Up-and-coming Katsuki Yuuri, who has never heard the music of his soulmate, turned to figure skating to create his own music. World Champion Viktor Nikiforov has long given up on having a life outside of the rink, let alone finding his soulmate. And yet, love and hope lie in their futures.





	1. Pair Spin

As everyone – even the smallest of children – knew, you would know you had met your soulmate when you heard your soulmate’s distinctive melody. No one shared the same melody, of course. 

When he was a young boy, Katsuki Yuuri constantly kept his eyes and ears peeled for music and for his soulmate. Although his family couldn’t tell him what the music would sound like, they were able to let him know that he had to be in close proximity with his soulmate before he could discern a tune. 

Every time he met someone new, Yuuri paid attention for the signs of his soulmate. The first day he started skating at the Ice Castle in Hasetsu, he noticed a brown-eyed girl with chestnut hair on the opposite side of the rink, practicing her spins. He hesitantly skated towards her, one part of his mind insisting he was doing so merely to introduce himself to her, the other part hoping that this cute girl was his soulmate. 

Just as Yuuri was close enough to call out a greeting, a tall, stocky boy skidded between Yuuri and this girl. The girl turned her head, lost her balance and fell down. She looked at the boy, her eyes wide and her hands covering her evidently gasping mouth. The boy beamed and extended a hand as he said, “I’m Takeshi! Nishigori Takeshi!” 

“Hello, I’m Yuuko!” she introduced. “Are you…?”

One glance at their faces, and Yuuri knew that something significant had transpired. He skated closer and called, “Hi! My name is Katsuki Yuuri!” 

His words fell on deaf ears, and Yuuri understood – they were each others’ soulmates. At that moment, Yuuri’s fascination with soulmates faded. 

Nevertheless, Yuuri became friends with Takeshi and Yuuko. They were, after all, rinkmates. Yuuri spent most of his time at the Ice Castle working on his skating skills, especially after Yuuko showed him a video of Junior World Champion Viktor Nikiforov. He had been mesmerized by the boy’s silky smooth movements, the way his arms and legs and hair flowed in the free skate, creating meaning. Viktor Nikiforov wasn’t dancing – he was evoking music with his body. 

Yuuri began putting in more and more time on the ice. He, too, wanted to create music with his body. 

~

Whenever Viktor Nikiforov left the ice to be himself, his mind always turned to two “L” words: life and love. 

He had neglected both for almost twenty years. 

Skating had consumed all of his time and, along with it, any life he could fathom. But he skated through the physical toil and the loneliness, day in and day out. He was the four-time Grand Prix Final winner and the four-time World Champion, and he had a duty to his nation to skate. He had too much responsibility to have a life. 

As for love, Viktor simply didn’t know what to do. He was almost twenty-seven and had not yet found his soulmate. He had never heard anything, not even the slightest hint of a melody and a future beyond the ice. Numerous fans had approached him, claiming to be his soulmate. Viktor almost believed one girl until Yuri had loudly mentioned that he could hear the music too. (The conniving girl had music playing on a device in her pocket.) 

Viktor had resigned himself to a loveless existence by the time of his fifth Grand Prix Final. He went to the practice sessions with icy cold resolve, expecting nothing more and nothing less than his fifth win here. As he practiced his jumps, he swore he heard the timbre of a piano, but he thought nothing of it. It was probably one of his competitor’s program music. 

That night, on a whim, he checked the music selections of his other five competitors. None of them sounded at all like what he had heard. Viktor brushed that off. It could belong to Grand Prix Finalist in another discipline or just music they were playing during breaks. 

Viktor, of course, was first after the short program. He left immediately after the press conference with the top three after the short program to rest for tomorrow. As long as he skated cleanly, he would win. 

All too soon, it was the day of the men’s free skate. Viktor was skating last. He stood on the periphery of the rink, watching the competition and awaiting his moment to make history yet again. Chris had done well, as had that newcomer, Jean-Jacques Leroy. Viktor watched the penultimate men’s skater step foot on the ice. 

Huh? Why could he hear that piano music he had heard during practices? Did the organizers accidentally play music at the wrong time? Viktor swiveled his head, but his rinkmates and coach looked completely unfazed. 

Viktor’s heart fluttered. What was the source of this music? 

What sounded like Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 began blaring out of the speakers, and the man on the ice, some guy by the name Katsuki, began to skate. Viktor watched him skate, a grimace on his face. This overused concerto was drowning out the tentative piano music just as it was getting interesting! As the violin joined the timid piano, the piano grew bolder and sang a new song. And all the sudden, the piano played solo, quietly and slowly, each chord a delicate feather. Then, the violin rejoined the piano and they sang triumphantly, their destinies entwined. 

The music was so beautiful! Viktor was downright furious that he could barely hear it. He had heard this concerto far too much already, but today he loathed it with a passion. 

The skater was performing piss poorly, too – popping jumps and falling twice, leaving lots and lots of points on the ice. Even though this Katsuki boy had nice spins and steps, Viktor was certain this kid would be in last place. 

Viktor approached the gate to the ice, reaching it just as this skater was leaving. This Katsuki Yuuri was already tearing up. As Viktor passed him and sped towards the center of the rink, he noticed the piano music fade. In spite of his pounding heart, he proceeded to skate his program to Stay Close to Me perfectly. 

That night, at the banquet, following a few close encounters with a drunken Katsuki Yuuri (more like a few dance battles and a rather personal conversation, if he were being honest with himself), Viktor Nikiforov knew he had found his soulmate. 

~

Yuuri didn’t know what had happened to him. He had trained tirelessly, day in and day out, in order to reach the Grand Prix Final so he could compete with his idol, Viktor Nikiforov. For years on end, he envisioned standing on a podium next to Viktor, clinging to his side as they posed for photos. 

Why, then, had he screwed up so remarkably during the Grand Prix Final?! He had done okay during the short program, but during his free skate to Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, he had fallen twice, not to mention doubled and singled some triple jumps. Was it Vicchan, who had passed away while he was away? 

All he could recall was that his timing for jumps wasn’t right. For some bizarre reason, he kept hearing Viktor Nikiforov’s Stay Close to Me during his program. The aria buzzed in his ears the whole time like a persistent mosquito. 

When Yuuri left the ice, he passed by Viktor. He ducked his head and hid his face, hoping to hide his tears and shame, hoping to preserve what little dignity he could after that disastrous free skate. As much as he tried to shield himself from Viktor, he could still hear a voice singing in Italian. He then sat in the audience and watched as Viktor Nikiforov broke a world record with his skate. Yuuri didn’t quite understand why, but his idol’s free skate resonated through his very being. It drew him in. 

The rest of the night was a blur to Yuuri. All he could remember was a tenor begging him to not to go. 

Yuuri fell into a slump after the Grand Prix Final. He flopped at Japanese Nationals and didn’t go to the World Championship. Against his wishes, his sister Mari made him watch men’s skating. And so, against his will, he watched Viktor Nikiforov deliver an even more flawless program and attain an even higher score. 

And yet, this performance didn’t move Yuuri nearly as much as his Grand Prix Final free skate. It just didn’t evoke the tenderness or intimacy that Yuuri had experienced a few months ago. 

A few months later, Katsuki Yuuri returned to Hasetsu, a wisp of his former competitive self, the shadowy aura of a fallen hero draped over his soul. As always, whenever he felt bad, he would skate. 

That evening, he went to the Ice Castle, where he met his childhood friend, Nishigori Yuuko and her triplets. Yuuri laced up his skates, went on the ice, and said, “Yuuko, please watch me.” 

He skated a perfect rendition of Viktor Nikiforov’s Stay Close to Me free skate. 

It wasn’t enough. Yuuri still couldn’t feel that intense connection from months ago. Perhaps he would never feel that way again. He went to bed that night, confused but determined to fight and compete with Viktor again. 

The next day, Yuuri found out that Yuuko and Takeshi’s triplets, Axel, Lutz, and Loop, had uploaded a video of him skating Viktor’s program. To his disbelief, the video had gone viral. Yuuri resolved to avoid social media for a week and went about his day training. 

Even though it was almost April, it snowed a few days later. Yuuri went outside to shovel the snow and found himself staring at the empty branches of the cherry blossom trees. Once he finished his task, he sighed and returned home. 

Immediately after he opened the door, a large fluffy poodle, just like Vicchan, pounced on him and licked his face. 

Yuuri’s father came up to him and said, “Yuuri! Isn’t he just like Vicchan? He came with a really good-looking foreign guest! He’s in the hot spring right now!” 

His eyes bugged out, and his glasses slid off his face. He frantically pawed his way to the hot spring and opened the door in anticipation. 

Oh god, this couldn’t be. There in the hot spring was none other than Viktor Nikiforov. 

“Vi – Viktor…” stuttered Yuuri. He was quickly overwhelmed by a distinct tenor voice singing a plaintive aria. “Why are you here?” 

Viktor stood up (oh dear, he was butt naked and everything) and gracefully extended a hand. “Yuuri, you don’t know why I’m here?” he teased. 

Yuuri turned left and right. “Can you hear that aria?” 

Viktor made an adorable blank face. “I can’t hear an aria, but I do hear a lovely piano and violin duet,” he replied sweetly. 

“Huh? What?! Don’t tell me…”

This was too good to be true. 

“Are we soulmates?” Yuuri whispered. 

Without a word, Viktor stepped out of the spring and embraced him. In spite of Viktor’s wet, naked body, Yuuri found warmth and peace in his arms. 

Finally, Viktor backed away and said, “You finally understand. I’m here for you.” 

Yuuri stepped forward, placing his foot between Viktors', and reciprocated the hug. 

After they broke the hug, Viktor beamed. “Actually, I have another reason to be here. I’m going to help you win the Grand Prix Final! You asked me to be your coach at the banquet!” 

“Huh?!”


	2. Circular Step Sequence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a spin-off of this AU with Yuri and Otabek!

“Altin,” Coach Yakov Feltsman stated, “You’re being moved to the novice class. You simply don’t have the skills to keep up with the juniors.” 

“Yes, sir,” Otabek said in a measured tone. He maintained his normally stoic expression, even though he felt like crying or pitching a fit. He couldn’t afford to be demoted to novice class, not with the weight of Kazakhstan on his small frame. 

Then again, Yakov was right; he couldn’t keep up with the others. 

Otabek joined the novices that day. To his horror, he realized he couldn’t really keep up with them either. They were all so flexible, whereas he couldn’t even lift his leg anywhere close to his head. Still, he tried and tried. He had to

All of the sudden, he heard an impassioned piano melody. Otabek let his leg down and looked around in confusion. No one else had reacted. It was like they had heard nothing. Was he imagining things? No, he could still hear the frenzied music, crashing down upon him like waves. It was almost too faint to perceive, but it was definitely there. 

The door of the room opened and in entered a small, slender Russian novice skater wearing cat ear headphones. He couldn’t be more than ten years old. Otabek mechanically resumed his training, but his gaze was fixated on this boy. As Otabek watched the boy stretch, the music played on in his mind. The allegro music transitioned into a more lyrical violin part. Once the boy left the room, the music faded away. 

Otabek spent that night wide awake, two thoughts reverberating through his mind: that boy, Yuri Plisetsky, had the unforgettable eyes of a soldier, and that boy was his soulmate. 

~

Yuri Plisetsky wanted to swear and curse, but then they would find him. 

By they, he meant Yuri Angels, his unwanted pack of rabid fangirls. He was in Barcelona, for fuck’s sake! Why did they follow him here?! 

Because of them, the day before the short program, instead of relaxing or exploring the city like a normal person, he was being chased around like a criminal. He was currently in a dark alleyway, catching his breath. But this was temporary – he could hear a shrill voice around the corner squeal, “This hair is Yuratchka’s! He’s gotta be close!” 

Yuri inched down the corridor, hoping to evade detection. Against every wish of every fiber of his being, the sharp sound of descending strings enveloped his being. 

“Dammit, they’re gonna find me,” Yuri mumbled to himself as he hid behind a large trash can and prepared for the worst. 

And yet, no one entered the narrow pathway. Could no one else hear that haunting violin melody? Yuri touched his ears – nope, he wasn’t wearing his cat ear headphones. 

No… could this be his soulmate’s song?! No one else could hear it but him, and although it was crisp and ardent, it was hardly audible. 

Yuri had wasted little time fantasizing about soulmates. He had heard nothing for his entire life, and none of his rinkmates had either. He had always dismissed the notion as an old legend, told by old married couples trying to justify their marriages and by young people who had the privilege of worrying about true love. Yuri, on the other hand, had had more pressing concerns, such as providing for his family and taking care of his grandfather. 

Not that Yuri particularly minded having a soulmate. Just not like this! Yuri desperately did not want his soulmate to be a sniveling fangirl. He didn’t want his life to resemble that shithead JJ’s, not even remotely. 

All of the sudden, a motorcycle roared to a stop, right next to Yuri. 

The motorcyclist, a stranger in a leather jacket and cool sunglasses, yelled, “Yuri, get on.” 

“Huh? You’re…” 

By then, a nightmare fangirl cried out, “It’s Yuratchka!” Before long, a swarm of girls had entered the corridor. 

“Oh, look! It’s Otabek Altin of Kazakhstan!” another yelled. 

All the while, that music echoed through Yuri’s very being. 

Otabek tossed him a helmet and sneered, “Are you coming or not?” 

Eh. Couldn’t be worse that getting caught by his fans. Yuri hopped onto the back of Otabek’s motorocycle, and the two sped off as fangirls snapped photos of the pair with their phones. 

The two distanced themselves from the girls, but Yuri could still hear an epic battle between strings and woodwinds. Why wasn’t the sound fading? 

Yuri Plisetsky looked up, and the instruments began to play in harmony, and he knew. He clung to Otabek’s waist, and Otabek smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing from Yurio's perspective. :3
> 
> Yuri's music is Allegro Appassionato in b minor, and Otabek's is Samarkand Overture.


	3. Side-by-side Triple Axels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Presenting... Leoji!

Leo de la Iglesia had never heard the siren song of his soulmate, but he didn’t let that worry him. He himself was brimming with music and melody. 

At the age of nineteen, he was the US’s undisputed number one men’s figure skater. After winning the US Figure Skating Championships last year, he had cemented his reputation as the top US man with stellar performances at Four Continents and Worlds. 

It just wasn’t enough, though. Last season, he had not qualified for the Grand Prix Final, nor had he medaled at any international events. None of the US men had. According to all the sports journalists who even bothered to review figure skating, the US men were pitiful – they were either jumping machines without a drop of musicality or artists, like Leo, who could barely rotate a triple toe. 

This season, Leo de la Iglesia roared back against the current of negative publicity. Jumps weren’t his strength – he still couldn’t land any quad, and his triple lutz and triple axel had only become more secure last season. Nevertheless, he had beautiful lines and nuanced musicality. He took more control over his own skating: focusing more attaining a quad toe and choreographing his own programs. 

Leo agonized over his short program for weeks. At his coach’s insistence, he tried to choreograph a program to classical music. He could create beautiful routines with tender, intricate arm movements and step sequences, but he kept returning to his favorite song, a Christian R&B song with a rap accompaniment. 

One painful day, Leo had been working on a Romeo and Juliet program he just didn’t feel when he snapped. 

“It’s a song that I like, so I want to skate to my image of it! That’s all!” he told his coach. 

“Leo, I don’t know if judges will respond to unconventional music,” his coach pointed out. 

“I can do it! I’ll choreograph a perfect program to this!” he protested. 

“Alright, Leo. You’re an artist. I trust your gut feeling,” she relented. 

With renewed vigor, Leo created his short program. It was easy working with music he believed in. He loved the lyrics and its themes of hope and beauty. He placed his lively, upbeat step sequence at his favorite part of the music, right where the lyrics mentioned needing the beat to motivate his soul. That line always reminded him of his passion for music and his faith in finding his soulmate. 

He spent the months leading up to his first Grand Prix event, Skate America, finessing his choreography and working on his quads. Alas, by the competition, he still couldn’t land a quad toe or a quad salchow more than 30% of the time. He chose to use his now-solid triple lutz and triple flip-triple toe combination, aware that a sloppy performance could hurt the skating world’s confidence in US men’s figure skating. 

The day of the men’s short program, Leo was warming up in the second group of skaters when he perceived the beckoning call of strings followed by an intense, fast-paced drum beat and a dramatic harmony. 

At that moment, two events transpired. Leo stumbled out of his spread eagle, and a skater Leo didn’t recognize – a short Chinese skater, likely someone making his senior debut – lost his balance during a camel spin. As luck would have it, they crashed right into each other. 

The other skater got up first and stammered, “I’m so sorry!” before dashing away. 

Leo stood up and rubbed his head. He miraculously wasn’t hurt, just confused. Who was that boy, and what was that epic theme? 

~

Guang Hong Ji slinked off in a corner, thankful that warm-ups were ending soon. He couldn’t believe he had collided with another skater at his senior debut! He thought of his teammate and rival, Cao Bin, who had been injured in a crash during one such session. It was so severe that Cao couldn’t compete for this Grand Prix series. Because Cao, who had qualified for the Grand Prix Final last year, couldn’t compete this time, the Chinese Skating Association foisted all of their expectations for men’s figure skating on Guang Hong, despite his lack of experience. 

Considering his still shaky quad toe, he couldn’t afford to mess up a spin. What happened then? All he remembered was a warm, mellow melody. It was completely out of place at a warm-up session; somehow, figure skating event organizers everywhere had unanimously decided to play obnoxious pop songs during warm-ups and practices and practically everything that wasn’t a competitive routine. 

Once Guang Hong left the rink, he couldn’t hear it. It must have been his mind playing tricks on him. He paced around backstage, anxious to attempt his very first quad in competition. 

Wait…there was that music again! It was clearly coming from the speakers. Everyone could hear it, judging by their delight. From the live broadcast, he could see that cool American skater, Leo de la Iglesia, performing an expressive step sequence. This program was genius. It maximized Leo’s strengths and would surely yield high program component scores. 

Leo looked just like a Hollywood star! Guang Hong couldn’t resist. He scampered to the edge of the actual rink, just in time to see Leo’s ending pose, his arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted upwards in reverence. He watched the American skater leave the ice and sit near the periphery, an image of serenity except for his hand cupping his chin and his fingers drumming on his face. 

Guang Hong waited for his turn to skate next to the rink. As the optimistic music echoed in his ears, his anxiety melted away, leaving him content to be alive in this beautiful world. When it was finally his turn to skate, he effortlessly landed his opening quad toe. 

The next day, the men’s free skate, was one of the most splat-astic days to grace the sport. The ice might as well have been cursed. Phichit Chulanont popped his quad toe, and Otabek Altin, one of figure skating’s most reliable and consistent skaters, singled a triple axel and fell on his quad salchow. 

Guang Hong tried to lose himself in his free skate’s concept, a fast-paced action scene inspired by Shanghai Blade. However, at the crucial moment of his quad toe, he suddenly saw Leo’s face and heard that uplifting R&B tune. That brief hint of music distracted him from the attack he needed to execute a clean quad jump – naturally, he lost his rhythm and fell. 

Oh well. It was easier for him to embody his free skate music, now that he no longer expected perfection. Where was he in the story? Ah, yes… he, an elusive assassin on his last mission had just scaled a building, and at the top was an unexpected friend…Leo? They joined forces and fought waves of mafia until they met the final boss, who happened to be an evil witch. The evil witched aimed at Leo, but Guang Hong jumped in harm’s way. He ended the program sprawled on the ice, just like the hero of Shanghai Blade. 

Only Leo was impervious to the slippery ice. He attempted no quads, instead sticking to elements he knew he could do. He skated impeccably and won the free skate as well as the event. Leo was first; Otabek, second; and Guang Hong, third. 

On the podium, Guang Hong looked to his right, up at Leo, just as Leo looked down and to his left, right into Guang Hong’s eyes. 

Leo blushed ever so slightly before he said, “Do you hear that?” 

Guang Hong nodded. 

Leo grinned and held out his hand. “It’s great to finally meet you! I’m Leo! You’re Guang Hong, right?” 

“Yes!” 

“Do you like SNS?” 

Guang Hong squealed a little. “Yes! I use SNS all the time!” 

Anyone watching the awards ceremony could tell what happened. Phichit interrogated the pair right after the ceremony. Even Otabek, whom no one had ever seen smile, gave them a thumbs-up. 

~

It was the evening before the men’s short program at the Cup of China, and Leo was wandering through an unfamiliar park in Shanghai. Guang Hong said he would be here, and Leo was following a meandering woodwind melody with a light orchestral harmony. He loved his soulmate’s theme, particularly this slow section that revealed his partner’s vulnerability and sensitivity. (Of course, Leo had transcribed Guang Hong’s music onto paper.) 

Just as the music found its purpose and resumed its presto tempo, Leo found Guang Hong next to a food stand, eating jian bing. 

“Guang Hong!” he called. Gosh, he looked so cute nibbling on that crepe. 

“Leo!” his soulmate exclaimed. 

“I called a million times, but you didn’t answer.” 

“My bad! Sorry…” 

“Anyway, Phichit gave me a call. He wants us to meet up with him at a hot pot place.” 

“I don’t know… I’m not crazy about hot pot.” 

“Viktor’s gonna be there,” Leo mentioned ever so casually. 

“Sold!” 

“Thought so,” he said a tad smugly. 

“Let’s get selfies with Viktor!” remarked Guang Hong. 

The pair strolled out of the park, shoulder to shoulder, savoring each other’s warmth and the synchronization of their heartbeats. 

(Little did they know they would be greeted by Phichit, snapping photos of his blackout drunk coach, and Viktor, half-naked and draped over a certain pork cutlet bowl.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leo's music is Still Alive, and Guang Hong's is The Inferno. 
> 
> I drew inspiration for this chapter from the anime as well as real things going on in the figure skating world:  
> 1\. Some people see men's figure skating as a dichotomy where you're either a jumper or an artist,  
> 2\. No US men qualified for the Grand Prix Final in 2015 (However, two did in 2016, and one of them actually earned silver.),  
> 3\. At the 2014 Cup of China, Yuzuru Hanyu and Han Yan crashed during warm-ups (and it was a pretty bad accident). 
> 
> I ended up rewatching some episodes to get details for this chapter. I think it's so cute that Leo and Guang Hong (and Phichit!) are into social media, and expressionless thumbs-up Otabek is my everything.


	4. 3 Turn

Emil Nekola was SO CONFUSED. 

He knew exactly what his soulmate’s theme sounded like – it was this grand orchestral work with fanfare and a strong drumbeat. The music was practically dripping in authority; he could envision this music playing as an army marched by or as lions roared. 

It was epic: structured and bold and powerful. 

The only problem was Emil didn’t know who his soulmate was. He had it narrowed down to two candidates: Michele Crispino and Sara Crispino. 

He couldn’t tell to whom the music belonged because brother and sister were always, always together! It was so frustrating! It had been years (years, for Christ’s sake!) since Emil met them at a novice skating competition and found out his soulmate was one of the Crispino twins, but he had yet to figure out which one. 

It wasn’t for lack of trying; Emil tried to follow around Sara and Sara alone, but Michele, without fail, was always right behind her, ready to threaten any man within a two-mile radius of her. Emil himself had already received more his fair share of warnings. 

After years of failing to isolate Sara from Michele, Emil attempted the converse tactic of following Michele, thinking that there was no way flirty, lighthearted Sara would care if her brother had suitors. This sounded good in theory. However, when he followed around Michele for a day, he realized that Michele spent his days following his sister and fending off men. 

It didn’t help that neither Michele nor Sara acted like they heard any music when they saw him. They were good friends with Emil as well. 

In short, Emil had NO DAMN CLUE who was his soulmate. He knew it was one of those two, but it might as well be one out of millions. 

But he wasn’t giving up! No, Emil Nekola wasn’t a quitter! He was going to figure it out through the magic of the Grand Prix Series! Michele and Sara both qualified last year; if he made it to the Final this year, he would get another opportunity to spent time with the Crispino siblings. Plus, he and they would both be competing at Rostelecom Cup. After his decent showing at Skate Canada, as long as Emil did well, he would get two chances to find his soulmate this year. 

It was time for Rostelecom Cup. Emil met the twins in the hotel elevator as it went down. He jokingly said, “Sara, come have dinner with me.” 

Michele held his sister closer. “If you want to date my sister, you’ll have to beat me first!” 

Emil chuckled. “Sorry, sorry!” 

“Mickey!” scolded Sara. “Stop, we’re just going for a bite.” 

“Sara’s leagues above any other woman, idiot!” Michele hollered at Emil. 

Neither Emil nor Michele noticed they were on the first floor until Sara stepped out and cooed, “Hi, Yuuri! Hi, Seung-gil! Do you want to come with – ” 

“No,” Seung-gil replied. 

“Hey, if you’re gonna turn down a lady, can’t you at least be more considerate?” 

“What benefits do I get out of being friendly with you?” Seung-gil retorted. 

“HEY! You can’t talk to Sara like that!” Michele screamed. 

Emil sighed internally. It looked like Michele was as vigilant as ever. 

The day of the short program, Emil STILL couldn’t separate the Crispinos from each other. His soulmate’s music had been driving him insane all morning – it had to be one of them. Out of a bizarre mixture of frustration and love for his friends, before he stepped out on the ice, he said to them, “Let’s all go to Barcelona together!” 

Emil skated well technically, becoming the second skater to land a quadruple loop. However, with that rich, royal melody humming along in his ears, he couldn’t connect with his short program music; as a result, his program component scores left much to be desired. 

When Michele was about to perform his short program, Emil glanced around, hoping Sara would be far enough that he could resolve the source of the music. But no, she was right on the edge of the rink, cheering for her brother. 

This sucked, but Emil still had hope. There was tomorrow, after all. 

Since his short program score was lower, he was skating first. He did the impossible and landed all four of his quads (a salchow, two toes, and a loop) perfectly, probably since Michele and Sara were nowhere to be found. In the middle of his program, though, his soulmate’s theme returned to wreak havoc on his jumps. He promptly messed up his triple lutz and triple salchow. 

When Emil finished his program, he scrutinized the crowd for either Michele or Sara, secretly hoping they had had a falling out, and only one of them would be there. 

Nope, they were both there: Michele was getting ready to skate, and Sara was in the stands. Emil moved backstage to get away from the wonderful music that plagued his existence. 

As Michele skated, Emil couldn’t help but feel pangs of loss reverberate through his heart. 

Emil ran to the kiss and cry after Michele’s stunning free skate. He had never seen him skate so emotionally. As he got closer, he heard the music come back, comforting in spite of all the trouble it had caused him. 

And there in the kiss and cry stood Michele and Sara, hugging and crying. 

Emil was so done! Even when he knew one of them was his soulmate, he still felt like the third wheel of this trio! He stormed off to his room. He’d figure this out later. 

After the conclusion of Rostelecom Cup, Emil wandered through the event venue, following the music, when he suddenly heard Michele howl. 

He turned the corner and found Michele Crispino foaming at the mouth because a zombie-like Katsuki Yuuri had latched onto him. 

“Was that Mickey screaming?” he asked. 

Yuuri hugged Emil too. 

“What is this, a hugging competition?” he joked. In reality, this was nice! Yuuri was a good hugger! He must have had a lot of practice with Viktor! 

Seung-gil entered the hallway, and unwittingly found himself wrapped in Yuuri’s arms. He turned ghastly pale at his touch. 

JJ Leroy was next to receive an unwanted hug. 

Yuri Plisetsky would have been hugged too, except he outran that shuffling zombie of sadness. 

Something about Yuuri’s endless quest for the perfect hug from the perfect person gave Emil hope. If Yuuri could hug everyone in the hallway (and there were tons of people) out of longing for Viktor, surely it would be worth it for Emil to find his soulmate. Neither he nor Michele qualified for the Grand Prix Final, whereas Sara did, but he was sure all three of them would be there for each other. 

~ 

Michele Crispino had known that Emil was his soulmate for years. He heard Emil’s distinctive futuristic techno-style melody whenever they were at the same competitions. 

Michele always did a little better at competitions when Emil was around. He attributed that to his soulmate’s theme. It had a strong beat that helped Michele keep a rhythm when he was about to jump. And the music was so upbeat and cyberpunk that it made him feel superhuman; it made him think he could ascend the limitations of his puny pathetic human body and be a consistent jumping machine, just like Emil. 

Honestly, he had never heard anything like Emil’s theme. He actually watched some sci-fi movies to select the right words to describe his soulmate’s song. (His favorite movie was Anastasis!) 

Michele would tell Emil someday, just not now. Right now, Michele’s primary duty was to defend Sara’s honor and protect her from Czech men who only cheered and moody Japanese men who looked like closet perverts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emil's music is Anastasis, and Michele's is L'homme Arme. 
> 
> Let me know if you like my work! - Hikari


	5. Death Spiral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's SeungJJ style!

Seung-gil used to believe nothing could be more annoying than Sara Crispino asking him to join her and her brother for dinner. 

That is, until he heard Jean-Jacques Leroy’s new short program music. 

Even though Seung-gil had never met JJ Leroy at a competition, as part of his competition prep, he studied all of his competitors’ programs, examining their strengths and weaknesses. It was during his Rostelecom Cup prep when he heard that arrogant, self-centered, downright abysmal song about how “King JJ” ruled the world. 

Even worse, it was catchy as fuck. 

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t eradicate that pesky earworm from his mind. As he was showering, he gave in and began singing the chorus. 

As he lathered his hair, Seung-gil’s mind wandered to JJ himself. A Grand Prix Final bronze medalist with a massive quad lutz, a rising star in Canada with loads of upward momentum, an extremely confident young man. 

Seung-gil wished he could be half as confident as that handsome, buff, tattooed Canadian skater. 

As Seung-gil always told Sara whenever she pestered him, there was simply no benefit in being friendly to others. But maybe, just maybe, he would approach JJ in Moscow. 

At Rostelecom Cup, the night before the short program, Seung-gil had that dratted “Theme of King JJ” roaring along in his head. He couldn’t get away from it, and he sure couldn’t sing away the melody stuck in his head, bestowing upon him one nightmare of a headache. When Sara indeed asked him to join her and her brother Michele at some vegetarian place, Seung-gil turned her down perhaps more rudely than normal. 

To be fair, he was usually pretty rude – he had a strong aversion to both women and vegetables. 

He couldn’t sleep at all that night since that upbeat, feel-good dictator song kept strumming along. Seung-gil awoke with an even more dreadful headache. 

Seung-gil powered through his short program, skating rather well except for his fall on the triple axel. But that was okay – the triple axel was fully rotated and in the second half of the program, so he would get 9.35 points before deductions. He didn’t overtake that inconsistent Japanese skater Katsuki, but no matter. 

After analyzing the blah competition, it was finally JJ’s turn to skate. The Canadian glided across the ice in a bold lavender outfit. It just wasn’t right – how could someone wearing that obnoxious hue still look so powerful and enticing? Seung-gil watched him skate, anticipating each element. (He would never admit it to anyone, but he had memorized the exact points in the music where the elements occurred.) As expected, JJ nailed all of his jumps. It was magical; this was what happened when a skater valued the collaboration between his skating and his music instead of backloading his programs for extra points. 

The theme echoed through Seung-gil as he unknowingly made his way to the kiss and cry to meet JJ. As they announced JJ’s new personal best score, Seung-gil was hiding on the periphery, looking for the perfect moment to strike up a conversation. 

All of the sudden, an unfamiliar woman joined JJ in the kiss and cry, kissing him on the cheek. At once, Seung-gil felt sick to his very core. Before JJ and this woman left the area, Seung-gil dashed off, doing his best not to throw up, running back to the hotel to hide. 

Briefly, the terrible tune abandoned him. He made it to his bathroom toilet before tearing up and vomiting. Once the last of his stomach bile left his body, the music had returned with a vengeance. Through that night, he suffered heartburn. 

Next day, the day of the free skate, Seung-gil just couldn’t perform. He fell on his signature quad loop and skated the rest of the program sloppily, throwing away his chances at the Grand Prix Final. It hurt when he got his scores. 

It hurt even worse when, after JJ skated lights out and won the competition by a huge margin, JJ’s girlfriend ran up to embrace him. 

~

When it was time for the Grand Prix Final, Seung-gil’s coach ordered him to watch the six men in Barcelona. He complied, watching that tiny Russian punk break Viktor Nikiforov’s world record and that so-called hero of Kazakhstan skate immaculately. 

Seung-gil wasn’t impressed. The best was yet to come. 

Finally, it was JJ’s turn. To everyone’s shock, he popped his triple axel and began an uncharacteristically wobbly spin. Out of habit, Seung-gil began singing along with JJ’s short program music. JJ prepared to do a quad lutz – oh no! He singled it. 

By the end, Seung-gil was gaping like a fish. JJ had just skated his career low. He looked about ready to shatter into a million pieces. 

Seung-gil began to chant, “JJ! JJ!” as if the man in question could hear. Almost simultaneously, on the live stream, he heard JJ’s girlfriend, Isabella, do the same. Roused by his fans’ undying support, JJ performed his signature pose, his hands prominently in front of his face. 

And then Seung-gil noticed a silver band on JJ’s right ring finger. At that point, he couldn’t take it – he violently slammed his laptop shut. 

~

It was Four Continents! Seung-gil had been training strenuously for this competition, for this competition was being held at the same venue as the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics. 

Everything he did was for Pyeongchang. 

He had even prepared to debut a new quad, a quad lutz. After Rostelecom, where other skaters began executing quad loops, Seung-gil’s signature jump, he knew he would have to push his boundaries. 

The instant he saw JJ walk into the arena, Seung-gil headed another direction, humming the theme song. As much as the music was his guilty pleasure, he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing JJ with his fiancée. 

The melody followed him onto the rink, but this time, he used the rhythm in his favor to land his jumps perfectly: a quad loop triple toe combination, a triple axel, and a quad lutz. 

JJ skated immediately afterwards. Against everyone’s expectations, he changed his jump layout, also landing a quad loop triple toe combination, a triple axel, and a quad lutz, the same exact jumps Seung-gil had done. After his short program, JJ rushed off the ice, right towards Seung-gil, grabbing Seung-gil’s hand with his own. 

Something was missing – the feeling of metal. Seung-gil glanced at his rival’s hand, discovering it devoid of jewelry. 

“Seung-gil! Do you hear that?” JJ exclaimed. 

He shook his head. He heard nothing but that pompous King JJ nonsense. 

“You have to be kidding! Whenever I see you, I hear something this grand, ceremonial piece of music! It sounds like homage to traditional Korean music…”

Wait, JJ was alluding to the absurd. “I can’t be your soulmate,” Seung-gil said without thinking. “Isn’t your fiancée your soulmate?” 

“Isabella?” JJ said with a sneer. “She’s a snake. Apparently, when she was around me, she had a speaker in her pocket play some boring thing on repeat. We’re no longer engaged.” 

JJ clasped both of Seung-gil’s hands in his own. “Are you telling me you have some hidden speaker too? You don’t hear anything with me around?!” 

Seung-gil felt a paradigm shift happen under his feet. So THAT was the constant earworm at certain competitions…

He said, “I hear that obnoxious theme song of yours.” He then pecked JJ on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I got this done earlier, but at last SeungJJ is here. 
> 
> JJ's music is Theme of King JJ. 
> 
> I struggled when picking Seung-gil's theme music. I don't think Almavivo suits him that well (and more respect to him for challenging himself with music probably outside of his usual artistic range), and I didn't think his LP (Pavane Pour une Infante Defunte) was particularly memorable or particularly good for him. I decided his theme would be Kim Yu-na's 2010-2011 LP music (Homage to Korea). I think that music capture the emotions behind his stoic demeanor and also reflects the pressure he feels regarding the Pyeongchang Olympics. 
> 
> And yes, Seung-gil does indeed have an extreme aversion to both women and vegetables.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first work for Yuri on Ice! I hope you like it! 
> 
> I got this idea for a soulmate AU while listening to Otabek’s short program music. It blew me away! I just had to write this story. 
> 
> In case anyone is wondering, Yuuri's music is Yuri on Ice, and Viktor's is Stay Close to Me. 
> 
> As far as I can tell, Rach 2 is considered an overused piece of music in figure skating. It’s a gorgeous work, and I like it! I imagine skaters probably see people skate to this every year. :/


End file.
